The Milton Keynes established business, which was founded in 2003 and operates from their Central Head Office in Fox Milne has achieved over 80% of its crowdfunding target within the first half of the campaign.

énergie is seeking to raise a minimum of £500k via the Crowdcube fundraising, to support growth through investments in proprietary technology, new premises and a national training academy.

Morgan - a traithlete who competed in the Beijing World Triathlon Championships, says the business is an ideal fit for her investment portfolio.

She believes énergie’s long term plan to democratise fitness and open access to hundreds of thousands of non-gym users in next three years can deliver growth that will return significant profit for early investors.

“The endorsement from a world class entrepreneur like Lara provides a fantastic boost to our campaign and our future,” said Jan Spaticchia CEO of the énergie Group.

“We have been thrilled by the response to this equity offer from franchisees, staff and members. We are now expecting the final shares to be picked up well in advance of the closing date in two weeks’ time,” he said.

“I only consider investing in businesses that are ethical and which make a difference to people’s lives,” Lara added.

“I’m convinced that énergie has the capability both to meet its ambitious growth targets and to help many thousands of people lead a more active and healthier life.”

On May 1 the énergie Group opened a limited equity offer, as it announced growth plans that would establish it as the nation’s biggest fitness brand. It currently has 93 fitness clubs trading across the UK and Europe, and plans to increase that number to 225 by 2018, and to grow membership from the current level of 110,000 to over 300,000.

By 2023, it forecasts over 500 clubs and a million members.

“We are making no secret of our intention to become the UK’s biggest fitness group and this equity offer is an important first step on that journey,”